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Do you want to know what your student will be learning this year? Fourth District Elementary School will have the first meeting for the school year on Tuesday, September 18, at 6:00 p.m. [Full Story »] 

A decade after graduation, the ACCHS Class of 2002 will reunite for this year’s homecoming celebration. “We thought homecoming would be the perfect time to bring our class together,” says Caroline Hatchett, Class of 2002 president. “Ten years have gone by so quickly, and we can’t wait to meet everyone’s families and find out what they’re up to.” [Full Story »] 

The Appling County Pirate Junior Varsity team hosted Fitzgerald on Thursday, September 6 at Jimmy Swain Stadium. [Full Story »] 

Briana Claire Baxley and Brett Austin Aycock were united in marriage at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, August 18. [Full Story »] 

Bridgett V. Powers (husband, Joshuah Powers) of Blackshear and James Miller (wife, Erin Miller), of St. Marys are proud to announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Kailey Bernice Syltevik, to Thomas Allen Newsome, Jr. [Full Story »] 

By U.S. Congressman Jack Kingston

Last Tuesday, the national debt reached an ominous milestone by exceeding $16 trillion for the first time in our nation’s history.  That is $50,950 for every man, woman, and child in the United States.

It is hard to comprehend exactly the size of a trillion.  It is a million millions or a thousand, thousand, thousand, thousands. [Full Story »] 

I called our new priest the other afternoon and asked, “How are you doing?” He answered with one word, “Starving”, so I told him it was fat Monday at the Vickers household and he was welcome to come over. He asked “What are we cooking?” to which I replied cracklin’ bread, collard greens, smoked hippo hocks and black eyed peas, rice, and fried fresh pork side. All that was needed from there was what time the feeding frenzy was to start.

I like to ‘feed the preacher’, and remember this being a southern tradition. [Full Story »] 

Way back in high school, I had a wonderful math teacher who taught me algebra and geometry. Her method of teaching made math easy and fun for me. She stood, clicking her chalk on the board, explaining problem after problem until the bulb popped on in my brain. She had infinite patience with those of us who paid attention and tried, but woe be unto any one who didn’t. She threw chalk and books, screamed at lazy students, and slapped her yardstick onto her desk. Some of her methods are frowned upon today and I don’t advocate using them, but they worked—for me anyway. Even then I had little tolerance for lethargic students and agreed with her on most things. However, she often told the class, “Don’t do as I do; do as I say do.” Even in my youth, I suspected that instruction. [Full Story »] 

Let’s face it. Some things are difficult if not impossible to love. Take snakes for instance. Have you ever had anyone, even a genuine snake handler, tell you that they love the slithery things. In fact, most people will shiver just at the mention of one. Many ordinarily peaceful travelers in the country will stop their car and hunt a stick to terminate any serpentine creature that might be innocently trying to get to the other side of the road. [Full Story »] 

Dear Editor and community, friends and family,

On September 22, 2012, Marsha Atwell will be having a car wash fundraiser for her husband, John Mickens, who needs a liver transplant. [Full Story »] 

Dear Editor and to the Body of Christ,

God began speaking to me concerning the Body of Christ. God began to say unto me, He said, Son, Everybody cannot be an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor or Teacher. He said to me these are “Gifts” of working for the ministry. [Full Story »] 

Dear Parent(s)/ Guardian(s):

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) submitted an application to the U. S. Department of Education (US ED) requesting flexibility through waivers of ten Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) requirements and their associated, regulatory, administrative and reporting requirements. On February 9, 2012, Georgia’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) Flexibility Waiver was approved by the US ED. Two of the ten requested waivers directly affected Supplemental Educational Services (SES) and Public School Choice (Choice). The waiver allows local educational agencies (LEAs) greater flexibility in designing a flexible learning program tailored to the needs of their schools and will have the capacity to serve more students in need for additional academic support. [Full Story »] 

An editorial from the National Newspaper Association

The newspaper business—both small and large papers—has sounded full-throated opposition this past month about a plan by the U.S. Postal Service to purposely entice advertising out of the newspaper so ads can be placed instead with USPS favored stakeholder Valassis Inc., which bought direct mail company ADVO in 2006. [Full Story »]